


the darkness begins to stare back

by writing_addict



Series: to the people who look up at the stars and wish [1]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas, Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: (im sorry rose), (not that they know it yet), (rose is tamlin), Alternate Universe - A Court of Thorns and Roses Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Attempted Sexual Assault, BAMF Edward Elric, BAMF Winry Rockbell, Calanmai, Don't say I didn't warn you, Edward Elric Swears, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Fae Winry Rockbell, First Meetings, Human Edward Elric, Meet-Cute, One Shot, Sexual Harassment, The Spring Court (ACoTaR), catch me illegally downloading pdfs of the acotar series to read it again, in which ed is feyre and winry is rhys, not between ed and win jesus h christ, part 34958964 of me writing dumb stuff only i like, so rip you ig, this is basically acotar with fma pasted on alright, u probably will not understand this if you haven't read the acotar series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:01:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24133246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writing_addict/pseuds/writing_addict
Summary: They were herding him away, hands on his hips, closer to the forest, and he knew that if he went in that he wouldn’t come out the same or even atall;he thrashed and fought and scrabbled wildly for purchase, but he couldn’t dislodge their hands, move them away,do anything—The ground rushed up to meet him as arms shoved him, and he nearly screamed—but delicate, strong hands were under his shoulders, pulling him upright. Warm hands. Safe hands.“There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”Or:Edward Elric, a human guest of the High Lady of the Spring Court, finds himself wandering out of the High Lady's manor on one of the most famed holidays of the fae lands: Calanmai. The legendary revels draw him in deeper and deeper, closer and closer, until he finds himself cornered by a group of lesser faeries--And then rescued by someone not of the Spring Court at all.
Relationships: Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell
Series: to the people who look up at the stars and wish [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1741414
Comments: 12
Kudos: 25





	the darkness begins to stare back

**Author's Note:**

> okay so u h basically I finally met another fma fan who likes acotar and that was the only push I needed to start writing this! if you also like acotar and fma, give this a read, because it is 100% an excuse to make feysand scenes edwin and to make winry all badass and dark and cool. no, i do not take constructive criticism on who's who. also, this is literally fma stuck on acotar, the books themselves are heavily, heavily, HEAVILY referenced in worldbuilding and prose, and this is mostly just a fun little quarantine adventure where i get to see my faves as my other faves. it's not any deeper than that, folks.
> 
> if you HAVEN'T read acotar and are reading this anyway, thank you for your sacrifice! if you like this and want to read the actual series, just lmk and i'll link some free online pdfs of the series for your reading pleasure. god knows we could all use more books in these trying times (i can't get to a library and it's driving me INSANE)
> 
> if you HAVE read acotar, here are the character lineups for this particular one-shot (and it's gonna be a series, dw, we'll get to the fun stuff soon~)  
> Tamlin: Rose Thomas  
> Lucien: Lan Fan  
> Feyre: Edward Elric  
> Rhysand: Winry Rockbell
> 
> alright, we good? cool, let's go have FUN

The air was filled with sweet-scented smoke, great bonfires burning across the green hills of the Spring Court as rhythmic drums pounded slowly, filling Ed with a strange mix of dread and some wild, Fae energy he didn’t quite know how to place. _Calanmai,_ Rose had called it, and told him to stay in the manor. _Fire Night. The Great Rite._ He had no idea what any of it meant, and—well, human or not, he wasn’t the High Lady’s damn _pet,_ so here he was. At a distance, sure, he didn’t want to get _too_ close to…whatever was happening, but he was still _here_.

If anything got dangerous, he assured himself, he’d make a break for his horse and ride back to the manor before anything could happen, before Lan Fan or Rose even knew he was gone so their stupid celebration could continue. But it was still going to be up to _him_ whether he stayed inside or not, damnit—not Rose. Beautiful and charming she might be, powerful she might be, but she didn’t _own_ him. He could think for himself, even if all of this was a bit…unsettling. Wild and strange and so undeniably Fae. They didn’t have holidays like this in the human world—at least, not anymore.

He started reaching for a faerie servant wearing the mask of a bird, about to ask what ritual was about to happen—before an icy hand curled around his wrist and spun him to face the other way with inhuman force. He hissed and tried to yank his hand away, before freezing as their grip tightened, staring up into faces that… _looked_ like High Fae, but weren’t.

_They aren’t Spring Court,_ he noticed numbly. _They wear no masks._ He could see the lines of their faces, two males and one female, sharp and tall and lean and _cruel,_ with pitch black eyes. Faeries, but not High Fae, not Spring Court, not safe.

_As if Rose and Lan Fan are safe. As if any of them are safe._

“A human man on Fire Night,” the female breathed, dark hair swirling like ink around her shoulders as she yanked him closer by his hand. Ed recoiled, digging his heels into the ground, but the other two were closing in around him with similar smiles. “What a rare find.”

He pulled at his hand again, only to stumble into the side of one of the others. A cold hand grabbed his elbow as his wrist was released, keeping him effectively trapped. “What do you want?” he spat, glaring up at them even as some instinct balked fearfully.

“Just some Fire Night fun,” the one holding him drawled, reaching out a too-pale hand with— _six fingers_ to caress his cheek. Ed turned his face away with a snarl, only to stiffen as those clawed fingers plucked the hairtie from his braid and sent his hair falling loose around his shoulders. _No. Oh, gods, no._

He twisted his head away, tried to pull his arm free, but to no avail—looked for an ally amongst the Spring Court faeries surrounding the bonfire and found none. _Shit, shit, shit._ If he screamed, would someone do something? Would Lan Fan come to his rescue—would Rose?

He hated that word— _rescue._ Hated the fact that he needed saving, that he’d been too curious and human and stupid to just _stay inside,_ but they were Fae and he was human and even the weakest of faeries could outmatch the strongest human in every way. And he—was not strong. Was still weak from starvation, had few combat skills beyond being good with a bow and _running away,_ and right now he had neither a bow nor the ability to run.

He was too far away from the fires, too close to the edge of the forest. There were more unmasked faeries drawing near, closing in, and these ones were laughing, sweet hissing sounds that were better suited to the throats of serpents pulling from their throats. “Leave me _alone!”_ he shouted, louder than he’d meant to, angrier than he felt. He was shaking, he realized dimly, and despite the fires and the drumming he felt cold. So cold.

“Bold words from a mortal on Calanmai,” the female purred, pressing a cold finger to his lips; he snapped his teeth at it and she drew away with a laugh. “After the Rite is performed, we’ll have such _fun_ , won’t we?”

“Get off of me!”

It was loud enough for anyone to hear, and yet no one came. No one was going to stop them. He was trapped.

They were herding him away, hands on his hips, closer to the forest, and he knew that if he went in that he wouldn’t come out the same or even at _all;_ he thrashed and fought and scrabbled wildly for purchase, but he couldn’t dislodge their hands, move them away, do _anything—_

The ground rushed up to meet him as arms shoved him, and he nearly screamed—but delicate, strong hands were under his shoulders, pulling him upright. Warm hands.

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

Ed didn’t know the voice—the soft, sensual voice that filled the air, rich and sweet as caramel and tingling with magic. He didn’t dare look at whoever it had come from, either, curling his fingers into fists at his sides as he gritted his teeth and glared at the faeries—who were sheet-white, fathomless black eyes wide and filled with _terror._

Not scared of him, clearly, but of his rescuer. Maybe that was why he allowed a lithe arm to be wound around his waist, let his body be tugged against the side of someone _else._

“Thank you for finding him for me,” the voice drawled, and there was a layer of venom beneath the words that made his would-be attackers flinch. “Enjoy the Rite.”

They obeyed, scrambling back to the bonfires.

Ed sucked in a quiet breath of relief and stepped out of his savior’s hold, turning to thank her.

And was met with the most beautiful person he had ever seen.

He stood spellbound for a moment, staring up into blue eyes so bright and clear they seemed as silver as stars, everything about the stranger radiating pantherlike grace and power. Blonde hair so fair it was almost white gleamed with veins of gold in the light of the fires, full lips twisted up into a faint, amused smile as she looked him over.

Nothing, for a moment. No words, no _thank yous._ The words seemed shallow for what he might have just been saved from. He knew he should say _something,_ but he couldn’t help but stare as shadows twisted around her, the stars overhead seeming brighter in her presence—and the sheer _power_ flowing from her made him want to run in the other direction.

She wore no mask, either—High Fae from another Court, then.

“What’s a mortal doing in Amestris on Fire Night?” came that rich, sweet purr that threatened to overwhelm him.

He tried not to shake in the presence of it as she angled her head toward him and arched an eyebrow. “My friends brought me through.” It was a struggle to keep his voice even as he met her silver-blue gaze. The drumming was increasing in tempo, that strange energy crackling throughout the word as haunting, Fae voices joined it, twining through and around the fires.

She was wearing black, he noticed dimly—ink-black so deep it seemed without beginning or end, flowing around her as if caught in some unfelt wind. It cut close to her body until her waist and then flared out into swirling shadows limned with silver, doing little to hide the muscle beneath smooth skin.

She looked…she looked as if she’d been molded from the night itself.

“And who are your friends, darling?”

“Don’t call me that.”

“A mortal with a spine. How delightful.” She prowled—there was no other word for it, the grace with which she moved—closer, twining her fingers behind her back and smiling almost innocently at him. He stepped back again, eyes narrowing into a glare as he wished he’d had the foresight to take a knife.

Those faeries had been scared of her—terrified. And if faeries were scared of something, it was for a damn good reason.

Had he just traded three monsters for something worse?

Her laughter—sweet, sibilant, utterly inhuman—drew him out of his thoughts. “You’re welcome,” she crooned, “for saving you.”

“Shut up,” he couldn’t help snapping, hands curling into fists again as his nails bit into his palms. Stupid—so, so stupid to provoke whoever this was, _whatever_ this was, but his temper rose despite his common sense trying to beat it down. He was close enough to the bonfire that he could make it if he sprinted, he reminded himself. Maybe someone there would help him.

Or maybe this strange woman would crush him like an ant before he made it two steps.

“Strange,” she mused, circling him like a wolf, “for a mortal to be friends with two faeries.” He swore tendrils of darkness moved in her wake, that starlight blossomed under every footstep as she eyed him up like prey. “Aren’t you humans terrified of us? And aren’t you supposed to be on your mundane side of that magic wall?”

Ed _was_ terrified, but he sure as hell wasn’t about to tell _her_ that. “I’ve known them my whole life. I’ve never had anything to fear from them.” Lie—on both accounts. But he didn’t care if she could tell or not.

She paused for a moment—right between him and his escape route. “And yet they brought you to the Great Rite and left you here.”

“They went to get refreshments.”

A twitch of her lip. Something he’d said had given him away—the refreshments, maybe. He’d seen servants moving food somewhere, but maybe it was for a specific purpose, something he hadn’t considered. Either way, she knew he was a liar now. _Shit._

She stood there for a moment longer, smiling. He’d never seen anyone so beautiful—and never had so many alarm bells going off in his mind because of it. “I’m afraid the refreshments are a ways away,” she said after a moment, her voice polite, crisp, still tinged with that dark amusement. “Might I escort you somewhere else in the meantime?” She held out a delicate hand, her skin pale as starlight.

She looked so fragile, but he remembered the muscle he’d felt in that arm around his waist, the way she’d scared off those faeries without lifting a finger. “No,” he rasped, gritting his teeth. “No, you may not.”

To his surprise, she simply waved a hand toward the hollow, the drums and the fires. “Enjoy the Rite, then. Do try to stay out of trouble. I might not always be there to rescue you.”

_Arrogant asshole._ “I have a feeling you’d get me _into_ trouble,” he sniffed, turning to stalk toward the fires. “You’re not even part of the Spring Court, are you?”

She glanced at him, blue eyes gleaming bright and laced with lethal power, before she laughed, tossing her hair. “Do I _look_ like I’m part of the Spring Court?”

_You look like nothing I’ve ever seen. You look like I should know you, like part of me recognizes you, and I don’t want to know why._ “Then why are you here if you’re not one of them?”

Those eyes seemed to glow—bright and vicious enough that Ed stumbled back a step. “Because all the monsters are free from their cages tonight, no matter what Court they belong to—so I may roam wherever I wish until the dawn.” The stars seemed to flare brighter in response, and he found himself wondering if the dawn would even come as long as she walked these hills.

“Enjoy the Rite,” he managed—before fleeing back to the fires.

All-too aware of the eyes on his back, watching his every step.

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys, i hope you enjoyed that! it was fun to map out characters, and rewriting this scene with ed and winry reminded me how much i love feysand. y'all, they're so WHOLESOME, what the FUCK. i'll be re-doing more scenes for other portions of this au, probably in the form of one-shots or short fics, so if you liked this, stay tuned for those! leave a comment or a kudos if you enjoyed this, and i'll see you next time!


End file.
